A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
